Cubs insider speaks an Edward Cabrera truth that nobody wants to hear right now

This feels like a matter of if, not when.

Jake Misener

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Through his first eight starts of the 2026 season, Chicago Cubs right-hander Edward Cabrera has held his own, but hasn't exactly looked like the front-of-the-rotation presence Jed Hoyer hoped for when he sent Owen Caissie to the Marlins this winter.

A 3.88 ERA and slightly less impressive 4.26 FIP, paired with a strikeout rate trending in the wrong direction and a barrel rate that ranks near the bottom of the league, net out to 0.0 bWAR. Again, not exactly what you're hoping for after trading a top-100 prospect and losing your top three starters to injury.

Cubs beat writers remind fans of an inconvenient Edward Cabrera truth

To add insult to injury. In a recent mailbag piece over at The Athletic (subscription required), Cubs beat writers Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma offered up a reminder that nobody really wants to hear right now when it comes to Cabrera: in all likeliehood, he's going to get hurt at some point this season.

Edward Cabrera, the injury-prone pitcher the Cubs acquired from the Miami Marlins over the winter, has remained healthy, though his contributions through eight starts have been worth zero bWAR. Given his track record, it’s reasonable to expect better results and some time on the injured list at some point this season.

From May 4 through the end of the season last year, in 22 starts with the Marlins, Cabrera carried a 2.95 ERA/3.53 FIP and punched out nearly 10 batters per nine. That's what the Cubs need out of the right-hander, especially with Cade Horton out for the year and uncertainty over when, exactly, Justin Steele will make his return.

There have been some troubling numbers under the hood with Cabrera, even though the back of the baseball card numbers are largely palatable. Even so, the idea that the Cubs could be without him at some point is a harrowing thought given the depleted starting pitching depth. But when he's on the mound, Chicago needs him to raise the bar - because he's been a name on the depth chart to this point, and they need much more than that if they are going to make a run at a deep October run.

Jake Misener

For more than a decade, Jake has been a staple in FanSided MLB - leading the Cubbies Crib team for most of that time.When he's not in the bleachers at Wrigley Field, he can be found covering all things Cubs - including the latest hot stove rumors, roster breakdowns and statistical analyses. Inducted into the FanSided Hall of Fame in 2018, Jake has 15+ years of sports journalism and blogging experience - and is now focused on teaching his daughter the ways of Cubs fandom.